As well known, there have been developed, as devices for detecting a visible light, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) array sensor where photodiodes to convert a light into electric charges are arranged in array form in respective pixels, and the like, in addition to a PSD (position sensitive detector) capable of detecting a position of a spot-like light. Such a CMOS array sensor is also capable of realizing positional specification and tracking of a high luminance point without performing complex image processing by taking out an electric charge, generated in each pixel, as an electric signal.
On the other hand, in the field of the infrared array sensor for detecting infrared rays, especially the infrared array sensor with thermal infrared detectors two-dimensionally arrayed on a substrate, there has not been proposed a technique for realizing positional specification and tracking of an object to be detected as a heater without performing complex image processing. Further, two-dimensional information cannot be acquired by amonopixel infrared sensor.
As conventional infrared array sensors known are a sensor configured so as to have shift resistors for selecting a row and for selecting a column and perform electronic scanning by these shift resistors, thereby to read an electric signal to the outside in each pixel (e.g. see Patent Document 1), and some other sensors
Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,354 (paragraph [0033], FIG. 3, etc.)